Silk Reflecting
by Matriaya
Summary: It was the Christmas lights that got him, playing through her hair as they did. He tried to ignore their presence, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Sparky SheppardWeir fic for the holidays.


**_Title: Silk Reflecting_**_  
Author: phantmgreeneyes  
Summary: The Christmas lights were slowly driving him mad.  
Genre: sparky, fluff, romance  
Pairings: John/Elizabeth  
Main characters: John, Elizabeth  
Rating: PG   
Warnings: fluff up the whazoo. just letting you know.  
Spoilers: none  
A/N: A wee bit o' Christmas fun, since I can't sleep._

It was the Christmas tree that did it. Some idiot had gone and placed it in the gate room, off to the side to greet incoming travelers as they dragged their weary bones back through the Stargate. Sure, it was great for general moral, but it was total hell for John. Seeing the mystic blue glow of the Stargate reflect off her skin every day was bad enough, but that was a rather infrequent occurrence, and it didn't have that nasty habit of dancing through her soft chocolate curls the way the lights on the tree did.

Maybe it was the fact that her office was adjacent to the gate room, and all the walls were glass. There was nothing to prevent the general feeling of festivity that the tree inspired to wrap around her at all times, and produce a carefree smile on those pretty lips that threatened to tear his heart to pieces. All they needed now was some mistletoe hanging from the doorway, and he would officially be a dead man.

Working with Elizabeth had been really easy at first. He'd stepped into his role as Major and main military advisor quite easily. She was the commander, he was the officer. It was a part he'd had to play almost all his life. John found that he respected her, and though not all her decisions seemed reasonable to him, he also respected her as a person, so he would follow all orders, though more than once he'd voice his opinions. As they worked together more, he found himself becoming her friend. They'd make small talk out on the balcony, exchange opinions at first, and then emotions, and little anecdotes about their lives.

His transition into love was a painful one, and to that day it remained so. If he would just allow himself to give in to the idea of being in love with Elizabeth, the whole process would be a lot easier. As it was, he refused to admit it, so when his heart leapt every time she walked into the room, he immediately kicked himself. Staring at her mouth during briefings was a definite foux pas, as was noticing the way her outfit hugged her curves, or admiring how incredibly attractive she managed to look while blasting the crap out of alien life forms.

It was entirely an acceptance thing. He knew that if he could just let go and allow his secret love to open up, everything would be better. Being in her presence would be the torturous dance it was now. Made all the harder by the arrival of the giant Christmas tree.

Damn Christmas. His words punctured the roof of his mouth but didn't leave the barrier of his lips as he entered the confines of Elizabeth's office.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked. Those pesky lights were at it again. They weaved in and out of her hair as if it were silk, and cast her pale skin in a delicious glow. As she looked up from her paper work, a small smile played across her lips. He could help the returning smile that graced his. Seeing her happy tended to have that effect on him.

"Yes," she said, "Thank you for coming."

"What's up?" Good, he told himself. That sounded casual. It wasn't as if he'd dropped what he was doing instantly at the chance to be alone with her, even if they were surrounded by walls made of glass and in plain site of everyone. The fantasies of spontaneous love making on her desk would remain, as usual, a beautiful but painfully unattainable dream.

"Some of the crew are complaining about a disturbance in the south wing. Think you can take care of it?" the deep chocolate of her eyes played across his without a hint of the sensuality he so desperately longed for.

"Not a problem." He tossed off with his usual boyish grin, and turned to leave.

"Oh, and John?"

He froze midstep, hand on the door frame. In that fraction of a second, a million different senarios played out in his head.

_I want you._

_I need you._

_I love you._

"I'd prefer if you went alone. We want to keep this as hushed as possible, so there isn't a panic." She leaned her elbows on her desk, clasping her hands together. He gave her a fake salute, and high-tailed it out of her office. The memory of those damn lights lingered long after he'd exited the gate room.

The further he traveled away from the center of the complex, the quieter it got. People become less and less frequent, until he was the only soul wandering the labyrinth of corridors. What could possibly be out here that spooked anyone? His scanners indicated no life form besides himself, and there wasn't any…

Wait.

Another dot appeared a few hallways away from his own. With lightening reflexes, he drew out his gun, and hugged the wall as he walked. His boots made little sound on the floor, and he forced his breath out in slow, even lengths to keep them quiet. Just a few more meters ahead, and he would be face to face with the nameless demon. Nothing in the censored indicated a wraith presence, though he couldn't rule out the possibility. Who knew how long this thing had been aboard? How many systems it could have tampered with? How many lives it endangered?

Just down the next hallway now. He moved with precision, quick and deadly. All traces of the rueful grin were replaced with a stone cold expression. In the blink, he could be in attack mode, ready to take down whatever creature threatened his city. His Elizabeth.

As he whirled around the corner, he was greeted by a small shriek of terror.

And more Christmas lights.

That shriek curbed his instinct to automatically fire on the first moving target. John took a step into the small room, and his jaw dropped. Elizabeth stood in the center of it with a small purple bow on top of her head, and a picnic basket at her feet. All across the circular ceiling, there were Christmas lights strung up, pouring light into the otherwise dark room.

"Surprise," she said nervously, her gaze moving rapidly from him to the gun he still had trained on her. Immediately, he holstered it, and walked slowly towards her.

"What are you doing? It's not safe out here, the crew said…" he began, tugging at her arm to get her moving. She grinned in amusement and shook her head.

"I made that up, John. To get you out here."

It took a moment for the realization to sink in. There was no danger, no beastie lurking in the darkness, ready to eat those he held near and dear. There was only Elizabeth, standing near him with an amused smirk on her face.

"What…" he started, completely baffled, but she cut him off.

"Merry Christmas." She smiled up at him. Her arm snaked up around his neck, drawing his head down, and her mouth pressed hot against his. For a moment, he was sure he was dreaming. Was this even possible? Could it be a delusion induced by all those months watching her from the shadows? Perhaps the thing he was hunting was playing out his fantasies to throw him off guard.

Then she slipped her arm out of his grasp and grabbed the hand that had held her, gripping his fingers tightly within her own, and he knew it was no dream. The hand that had before held the gun moved ever so slowly up to the ends of her curls, where they fell against her shoulder. They felt like silk against his finger tips, and beneath her lips, he smiled. She pulled back just slightly, and whispered,

"What?"

His hand moved to cup the back of her neck as he grinned.

"This is the best Christmas ever." And then he kissed her again, more deeply this time, drawing her soul into his.

Maybe the Christmas lights weren't so bad after all.


End file.
